Clinicopathologic characteristics of choroidal melanoma in a North Indian population: analysis of 10-year data.

To analyze the clinical and histopathological characteristics of choroidal melanomas undergoing enucleation at a tertiary care center in India and compare with data from other countries. A retrospective review of in-patient hospital records from 2001-2011. Patients undergoing enucleation with a clinical diagnosis of choroidal melanoma. A total of 80 eyes were enucleated for choroidal melanoma. The mean age of patients was 46 ± 13.1 years. Tumors with spindle cell morphology were the most common subtype. Necrotic tumors had a higher incidence of scleral invasion and orbital involvement compared to other cellular subtypes. The mean age at enucleation in Asian Indians is nearly a decade less than most other races. Predominance of spindle cell subtype is in contrast to findings of previous studies and could be partly related to the genetic and molecular expression of the melanocytes undergoing malignant transformation.